


Strange Weather We're Having

by cindyginthedia



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Blood and Injury, I romanticized the East Coast big time sorry in advance, I will singlehandedly make it a thing, M/M, Magic, Musical References, Self-Indulgent, Uconn babey, Witchcraft, Witches, Xanadu, anyway, based in Connecticut, hope this isn't just interesting to me lol, huang renjun is trying his best, in the second chapter (I put trigger warnings in the notes), mark is over-eager and I find it cute, mark technical theatre major, renjun meteorology major, shout-out to my college roommate for letting me read this to her out loud
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:02:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28799535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cindyginthedia/pseuds/cindyginthedia
Summary: “It’s noon and it’s fucking raining!” Mark storms into the living room, cup of coffee at-the-ready. “Please tell me this will let up by my night class.” He sighs into his cup as he takes a sip, draping himself gloomily on the wall.Renjun snickers, but soon feels a sharp tingle in his left elbow. He moves to scratch it. “It’ll let up after six. Probably still a light drizzle, though.” The itch vanishes.“Damn! I knew you were a weatherman major but I didn’t know you could predict the weather likethat.” Mark smiles warmly at his roommate.
Relationships: Huang Ren Jun/Mark Lee
Comments: 6
Kudos: 34
Collections: Markren Secret Santa 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [caihongs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/caihongs/gifts).



> Hello! Welcome to my first published Markren fic! This was written for a Markren Secret Santa. I wasn't originally planning on making something multi-chaptered, but my idea wouldn't stop growing. :] Please stay tuned for future chapters; I hope to post at least once per week. 
> 
> Hay: thank you for making your wishes open-ended, but nonetheless, I do hope I started something that piques your interest. I wish I could have written more before now but,,,, life,,,, got in the way. :')

Renjun stares out his foggy window, catching small glimpses of headlights streaking down below. He’s on the third floor so he regularly enjoys watching the happenings on the streets below him. However, he can’t see much now due to the substantial downpour. 

He knew this was coming, though. It’s the rainy season in Connecticut; October to be precise. He also felt it in his bones when he was brushing his teeth this morning. A dull tingle in his left elbow left him certain the sky would be grey by noon.

“It’s noon and it’s fucking raining!” Mark storms into the living room, cup of coffee at-the-ready. “Please tell me this will let up by my night class.” He sighs into his cup as he takes a sip, draping himself gloomily on the wall. 

Renjun snickers, but soon feels a sharp tingle in his left elbow. He moves to scratch it. “It’ll let up after six. Probably still a light drizzle, though.” The itch vanishes. 

“Damn! I knew you were a weatherman major but I didn’t know you could predict the weather like _that._ ” Mark smiles warmly at his roommate. “I need you around when I have to take my scenic projects to the workshop.” 

Renjun, as Mark generously provided, is a meteorology major, hoping to work for one of the major news stations on the East coast where the weather is actually interesting. Mark is a Design and Technical Theatre major with an emphasis in set design. The two get along fairly well considering they only met in September. 

Renjun can’t put his finger on it, but Mark makes him feel certain sensations. No, these aren’t the typical butterflies, but strange vibrations in his body. Usually the elbows. He’s never felt anything like this back in Glendale, Arizona; his hometown. But out here in Connecticut, his elbows tingle like they’re trying to tell him something. If only he could speak their language. 

Back in September, Renjun stepped into the apartment with his two suitcases and a backpack to a fully furnished living room. 

“Hey! You must be my new roommate!” Mark rounds the corner and grabs Renjun’s suitcases. 

“Actually--” Renjun starts, but Mark is already halfway up the stairs with Renjun’s things. 

“Don’t worry about it! I’ll bring these to your room.” 

Renjun stands frozen in the doorway, unsure if he can even begin to process the events of the last-- he checks his watch-- 45 seconds. Before he can bring his arm back down, he gets a tickle. Just above the bend of his elbow, light but steady. He goes to scratch it, but suddenly feels compelled to rush into the kitchen-- which he had no previous knowledge of its whereabouts. The pot on the stove is about to boil over, so he moves it aside and lowers the heat. All he can think is: Connecticut is going to be much more interesting than Arizona. 

Fast forward to October and everything is normal. At least, normal enough. He accredits his weird elbow tickles as intuition, but he doesn’t think much further than that since he’s tackling five classes for his first semester. Mark is a great roommate since he’s a junior, so he’s helped Renjun, a freshman, around campus for various reasons; finding the library’s scanning machine, how to work the high-tech vending machines, and where the “Denault” lecture hall is located. His classes are proving to be challenging, but at least he knows what days to pack an umbrella and what days to wear sunglasses. Nowadays it’s more often the umbrella. 

On weekends, either the boys have their own plans or they spend time together in the apartment making breakfast and working on homework. This weekend is the latter. 

“So, are you coming to see my show?” Mark stands at the stove monitoring the scrambled eggs and toast. “Like, do you want me to get you a ticket?” He glances over at Renjun who finally looks up from his Chemistry 101 textbook. 

“Uh,” Renjun voices, realizing he didn’t catch the question. “Yes?” 

“Dude,” Mark sighs; he scoops the eggs onto a plate and heads for the dining table to join Renjun. “ _Xanadu_ , the musical I’ve been working on for my junior scenic showcase, is in a couple weeks, and it’d be chill if you wanted to support me by coming to one of the nights. I can reserve a ticket for whatever night you like.” 

Renjun serves himself some eggs while he takes the information in properly. “Well, of course, I want to support you. You’ve been a swell roommate, and all.” He smiles through his first bite. 

Mark suppresses a giggle. “You’ve been a pretty cool roommate, too. I’ll send you the dates and you can choose when you want to come. It’s not until next month so we’ve got time.” 

“How’s the building going?” Renjun asks before chomping into his toast. 

“Man, it could be better. We don’t have the same man-power as we did last year so we’re more behind than we should be. I might have to pull some all-nighters next week.” Mark busies himself with his own serving of breakfast. 

“Wait, like, you’d stay in the theatre for a full night? Is that healthy?” 

“Showbiz is never healthy,” Mark chides. When Renjun’s worried brow doesn’t budge, Mark sends him a wink. “It’s a perfect storm. We’re on a tight deadline, and I’m one of the few competent people to handle the heavy machinery. Besides, this is worth losing some sleep over.”

“If it’s that important to you, let me accompany you for some of those nights,” Renjun offers. “We’ll keep each other awake.” 

“You’d do that? Don’t you have all your studying to do?” 

“I can bring it with me. Besides,” Renjun places his fork down to focus his attention on Mark, suppressing the urge to scratch at his right elbow. “I’m worried about you; operating _heavy machinery_ at night with no sleep doesn’t sound very safe.” 

“You should know me,” Mark smiles. “I won’t make a mistake.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this scene brewing since the beginning so I'm very excited to be posting it! Short but sweet, more to come ofc~
> 
> tw: blood , injury

Renjun taps on Mark’s open bedroom door. “Hey, you want some spaghetti? I made--”

“Agh!” A painful cry cuts through the air, causing Renjun to almost drop his bowls of pasta, but he recovers and invites himself into the bedroom on the principle of: 'This Is An Emergency.' 

Mark is hunched over his desk, clutching his left hand. He looks over his shoulder, hearing Renjun’s fretful shuffle. “Ah, sorry, I just-- ow.”

“What happened?” Renjun surveys the area quickly; foam board pieces of varying sizes litter the desk, along with markers, toothpicks, different mediums of glue, and, the culprit, an Exacto-Knife. “You should really--”

“--Be more careful, I know. I may not be able to predict the weather, but you’re a little too predictable sometimes. Ow.” Mark, still cradling his left hand, manages a smile in Renjun’s direction. 

“Well, let me grab the first-aid kit.” Renjun decides to ignore the light insult in favor of focusing on the current crisis. He places the bowls of spaghetti on the desk and pivots toward the bathroom. 

“I’m one step ahead of you.” Mark nods to the left of his desk where the first aid kit sits at-the-ready. 

Renjun, having pivoted back around, wrinkles his eyebrows at Mark. “You knew this would happen?” 

“I wouldn’t say I _knew_ , but I took the proper precautions. Plus I wasn’t sure how long you’d be home.” Renjun smiles at that, opening the kit and taking out alcohol wipes, antibiotic ointment, and a band-aid. 

“Well, I’m here now so give me your hand.” Mark gently rests his left hand in Renjun’s right, and Renjun grabs the alcohol wipes. 

“Wait!” Mark cries, gripping Renjun’s wrist and immobilizing it. “Isn’t that gonna hurt?” His eyes point to the alcohol swab encased in the hand he has trapped. 

“Mark, look at me.” He does. “You know I’ll be kind, now let's get this over with before any blood drips onto the carpet.” Mark reluctantly releases Renjun’s hand at his words. 

Renjun gets to work on the slice on Mark’s index finger. “Tell me about what you’re working on,” He offers as a distraction for his roommate. 

“Oh, this? Well,” Mark chuckles at the mess. “So, I already made a 3D rendering on my computer of the set for Xanadu, but I wanted to try out a physical model for the experience… And I get extra credit.” He smiles widely but it turns into a wince. 

“Sorry! Almost done,” Renjun assures him, finally wrapping the band-aid around his finger. 

“Thanks. I’d say you didn’t have to do that, but I don’t think I could’ve managed by myself.” 

“I’ve always been in your mind when it comes to these things, haven’t I?” Renjun chides. He’s come to terms with taking on the caregiver role often in this apartment, but he will take every opportunity to tease Mark about it. 

Mark drops his head back laughing “At least I’m a decent cook, right? Between the two of us, nothing could stand in our way!” Still smiling, he extends his right (uninjured) hand and shakes Renjun’s. 

“I don’t think that’s how it works, but whatever you say,” Renjun teases, picking up the previously abandoned bowls of spaghetti and handing one to Mark.

**Author's Note:**

> Song(s) referenced:  
> Magic - Olivia Newton-John (featured in Xanadu)


End file.
